Because My Brother Is My World… Trayvon Martin Reflection

Before reading this post. I suggest you read up on the unfortunate Trayvon Martin tragedy. Here are a few links to get you started:
– Link One
– Link Two
–Link Three

There are youtube videos too. Get creative, use google.

Quick Note/Disclaimer:
Now before you all attack my email inbox (again) accusing me of being a bandwagon activist, let me admit that yes, I am indeed one. I am also going to admit that it took a coworker telling me about this incident for me to become privy about it. It took the unfortunate events of a personal attack on my younger brother for me to consider addressing this in a post. It took 3 different friends/readers to ask me why I wasn’t taking a stand on this the same way I did with KONY2012.

So yes, I am a bandwagon activist and if that honestly bothers, I couldn’t care less.

My little brother is my world. I spoil him, I encourage him, I discipline him in my own way, I speak to him as often as possible, I put his life and his wants before my own. I love my little brother more than I love myself. My little brother is my world.

He is also 16-years-old.

Trayvon Martin was 17-years-old when he was unrightfully shot and killed.

I’ve never experienced what Trayvon’s family is dealing with at this very moment, and will have to deal with for the rest of their lives. But the fear of losing my world is enough to keep me up at night. It’s enough to make me want to lock my little brother up forever to keep him safe from the injustices of the real world.

Recently my brother was suspended until further notice from his well-known prep school for punching a fellow caucasian classmate. His fellow caucasian classmate was just suspended. Did I mention that this same fellow caucasian classmate has been terrorizing my brother with the word “Nigger”? Now in my opinion, yes, my little brother should not have resorted to a physical attack, but bullying and verbal abuse is just as bad.

So why weren’t they given the same punishment?

My brother is intelligent beyond belief, he comes from a good home and has two educated parents. He may be built like a line-backer, but he is a gigantic teddy bear. I would know, that’s how I’ve groomed him to be.

So I’m sorry to say, but there honestly isn’t any other reason for the difference in punishment, other than he is black.

Now I don’t know the background on his classmate, but for him to have such a hatred towards black people at the age of 16… he had to have learned it from somewhere. That type of disdain does not come out of thin air, to the point where you would go to the extent of TERRORIZING another classmate for his skin color.

Yes this may sound minor to you, but it’s sort of kind of becoming a huge deal to me.

From my perspective, this displays that the school thinks my brother’s classmate’s behavior was perfectly acceptable… just as this country’s law-enforcement has told us all that it is perfectly fine to kill a black UNARMED MINOR by slapping on the tag of “Self-Defense.”

With all of this being done, majority of my friends have not said a peep (including myself), and honestly I think it’s because the news articles and the unfair ruling didn’t come with a fancy video to tell us to spread the word. It didn’t come with bright colors, a fancy bracelet and message already created for us.

I wont lie, the first time I read this I thought “here we go again” and felt there was nothing I could do about it.

But yesterday I was reminded that I always have a voice.

And with this voice I am choosing to share the Trayvon Tragedy, not just because of the fear I have for my little brother every time he walks to our local YMCA, but because of the simple fact that JUSTICE HAS NOT BEEN SERVED… yet again.

Comments

I’m also very upset about this story. Regardless of whether Trayvon was suspended from school, or whatever other troubles he was having– his death was senseless. We are talking about a grown man following this CHILD…. who at the time was not carrying a weapon or anything other than candy and a drink. Was he innocent? I have no clue- I don’t know Trayvon’s life or what he had done on previous days but on that day, he wasn’t doing anything. The man provoked him… and do I support violence? No I really don’t… but people fight every day. I don’t support children being murdered. I don’t care what anyone says about this story… the actions of that man are not justifiable. He is not a cop. You can’t claim self-defense when you provoke the reaction… can you? Unfair.

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Yetti is the creator of award-winning blog, YettiSays.com, where she writes what she feels, and delivers readers her raw and uncut truth. She is also the founder of Certified 10, the organization encouraging millennial women to kick ass while falling madly in love with themselves. When not tending to her passion for self-love and mental health awareness, you can find her obsessing over stationary. Cute post-its anyone?

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